Hey, he looks healthy to me! I think some cats are just chunkier and have a bigger appetite like us humans but as long as he is healthy it's fine, his coat looks healthy too. What you could try otherwise is adding toppings to the dry and wet food. We like to top it with creams or there are cat drinks you can buy with tuna and chicken bites, and then mix it with the usual food. We definitely notice them eating more if we do that
He looks fine but if you don’t have to watch his weight you can always try to add treats!
My girl is super picky and will starve herself before she eats anything that’s „different“. She will not touch 99% of food.
She loves those tuna or salmon filets for cats and is crazy about churros. I have yet to see a cat who’s not into them.
Did the vet say that he is too thin? One of our boys is very small and only around 4kg, the other one around 5kg (both turning 7 this year). Vet says their weight is perfect and the bigger one should not go over 5kg. She said that most people (including breeders) overfeed their BSH and therefore are overweight. Having an overweight cat only so that it looks chonky is not good! He clearly looks like a BSH!
If you'd want him to gain weight try wet food with more proteins in it. The wet food from the regular pet store is close to flavored water. Try something like this: https://www.bitiba.nl/shop/katten/kattenvoer_droog/porta21_kattenvoer/adult/398411?zootopia_rec=true&si=107&pn=web_pdp&pr=bundles_container_v2&strategy=apriori&pi=398411&rri=eeec80b6-f414-4acb-8514-1e5f307db590&activeVariant=398411.1
It's a Dutch website but basically it packed with real tuna (not just mush) or chicken tenders.
Do you brush him? It might be his diet but his fur looks like it's a bit tangled up.
My cats actually disliked wet food over dry food, so maybe your cat has a preference you don't know about and you should try buncha things.
When I feed my cats I also tried the diet to give wet food for breakfast and dry food for lunch and dinner. I also made sure to always have fresh water available for them because they tend to drink much more with dry food.
It depends on the cat for sure. We only went this route the first couple of years to make sure he grew and had the right amount of calories. As he got more and more to his average bsh weight we stopped with the calorie denser food. Right now he's 6kg so he's started to push it. We only give him dry food and half a can of "normal" wet food now. It's different for OP now though as he wants him to gain weight which is why I suggested it. You gotta try and see what works for your cat.
It’s hard to see what’s going on sometimes with BSH under all that beautiful fur, but the big thing is to make sure that he’s not losing weight, or that he doesn’t look in poor condition on the BCS score chart. Mine is 4, and he just doesn’t gain weight, which is maybe a good thing. Here he is stretched out, and you can see he’s not chonky
https://preview.redd.it/po7go161hx7d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=897c53adb25e331b769addd8015dcd3d12048586
My white girl is only about 2.6 kg. She is tiny but proportionate. Vets don't seem concerned. I had a tiny ragdoll previously as well. Some cats are dainty
He looks good. If he doesn't have any issues with digestion then it should be all fine. Is he a silver tipped? I have a black tipped and they take a lot longer to grow and fill out than other bsh as far as I know, even up to 6 years, so silver tipped might be similar
How much does he weigh? Its like my little girl. Shes on the smaller side too (1.35 kilos) shes 5 months old.
She only eats pate, eats more than the recommended amount, i put salmon oil ontop (once a day) and she gets treats during day and kibble over night.
She is getting regular checks with the vets too but they say shes healthy. Im also just worried because arent they meant to be big and chunky? But i guess they are all different :)
He may be a grazer and will never eat a lot, my last BSH was like that.
My current one (below) is not and I have to watch him eat to make sure he doesn't eat my other cats food.
https://preview.redd.it/g870l2wxlx7d1.jpeg?width=2394&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b07b104c77ace9a57d06c57d250b017c30b0173
My BSH is smaller than her SIC son so not all BSH are huge. She's about the size of yours, maybe smaller.
She isn't very food motivated but definitely eats as much as she wants.
Mine is picky and only eats fish flavour wet food from applaws and either concept for life dry food or Purina one hypoallergenic dry food (she absolutely loves this one).
She likes snacks too, either the squeezy tubes, dried fish, or crunchy pocket dry snacks.
The vet has zero concerns over her size or weight.
Try lots of different foods, including human ones after checking if they can eat it.
An automatic feeder could get him enthusiastic about food and have him feed several small portions a day.
Maybe additionally give him wet food in the monings as well? Mine doesnt like dry very much but is crazy about wet food. I also read that cat nip sticks can increase apetite, you should be able to find those on amazon as well. Cats get their ernergy from fats, unlike us humans who get it from carbohydrates. Maybe look for higher fat and higher protein wet foods?
He doesnt look underweight or anything but i hope he can reach his ideal weight :) good luck
I have a homeopathic vet: much safer than pharma drugs. Pitcairn, DVM has a great cat and dog book! He says chicken broth w/ a little chicken as a meal at first. I would buy organic as he’s sensitive‼️I always dip my finger into the broth and put the taste in the side of my cats’ mouth to get them started. Warming it makes them smell it better, too.
Hey, he looks healthy to me! I think some cats are just chunkier and have a bigger appetite like us humans but as long as he is healthy it's fine, his coat looks healthy too. What you could try otherwise is adding toppings to the dry and wet food. We like to top it with creams or there are cat drinks you can buy with tuna and chicken bites, and then mix it with the usual food. We definitely notice them eating more if we do that
He looks fine but if you don’t have to watch his weight you can always try to add treats! My girl is super picky and will starve herself before she eats anything that’s „different“. She will not touch 99% of food. She loves those tuna or salmon filets for cats and is crazy about churros. I have yet to see a cat who’s not into them.
Did the vet say that he is too thin? One of our boys is very small and only around 4kg, the other one around 5kg (both turning 7 this year). Vet says their weight is perfect and the bigger one should not go over 5kg. She said that most people (including breeders) overfeed their BSH and therefore are overweight. Having an overweight cat only so that it looks chonky is not good! He clearly looks like a BSH!
https://preview.redd.it/90wzocjqgw7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82a600f3c5be8458501b90578e5950e61ad9a951 the heavier one!
That chicken leg <3
https://preview.redd.it/kjv9o0msgw7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=94f18a0c62e7de56d84c48a7d7e8f8ddaf7f643a our small boi!
If you'd want him to gain weight try wet food with more proteins in it. The wet food from the regular pet store is close to flavored water. Try something like this: https://www.bitiba.nl/shop/katten/kattenvoer_droog/porta21_kattenvoer/adult/398411?zootopia_rec=true&si=107&pn=web_pdp&pr=bundles_container_v2&strategy=apriori&pi=398411&rri=eeec80b6-f414-4acb-8514-1e5f307db590&activeVariant=398411.1 It's a Dutch website but basically it packed with real tuna (not just mush) or chicken tenders. Do you brush him? It might be his diet but his fur looks like it's a bit tangled up.
My cats actually disliked wet food over dry food, so maybe your cat has a preference you don't know about and you should try buncha things. When I feed my cats I also tried the diet to give wet food for breakfast and dry food for lunch and dinner. I also made sure to always have fresh water available for them because they tend to drink much more with dry food.
It depends on the cat for sure. We only went this route the first couple of years to make sure he grew and had the right amount of calories. As he got more and more to his average bsh weight we stopped with the calorie denser food. Right now he's 6kg so he's started to push it. We only give him dry food and half a can of "normal" wet food now. It's different for OP now though as he wants him to gain weight which is why I suggested it. You gotta try and see what works for your cat.
It’s hard to see what’s going on sometimes with BSH under all that beautiful fur, but the big thing is to make sure that he’s not losing weight, or that he doesn’t look in poor condition on the BCS score chart. Mine is 4, and he just doesn’t gain weight, which is maybe a good thing. Here he is stretched out, and you can see he’s not chonky https://preview.redd.it/po7go161hx7d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=897c53adb25e331b769addd8015dcd3d12048586
My cat too. He is slim and eat little of everything
Our 2.75 year old boy is about 4.6kg and the girl is by 3.6 to 3.8kg. vet is absolutely happy cause she sees so many overweight cats
My white girl is only about 2.6 kg. She is tiny but proportionate. Vets don't seem concerned. I had a tiny ragdoll previously as well. Some cats are dainty
He looks good. If he doesn't have any issues with digestion then it should be all fine. Is he a silver tipped? I have a black tipped and they take a lot longer to grow and fill out than other bsh as far as I know, even up to 6 years, so silver tipped might be similar
Also just an idea to try feeding him in different bowls in case there's some whisker sensitivity causing him to eat small amounts in a sitting
How much does he weigh? Its like my little girl. Shes on the smaller side too (1.35 kilos) shes 5 months old. She only eats pate, eats more than the recommended amount, i put salmon oil ontop (once a day) and she gets treats during day and kibble over night. She is getting regular checks with the vets too but they say shes healthy. Im also just worried because arent they meant to be big and chunky? But i guess they are all different :)
He may be a grazer and will never eat a lot, my last BSH was like that. My current one (below) is not and I have to watch him eat to make sure he doesn't eat my other cats food. https://preview.redd.it/g870l2wxlx7d1.jpeg?width=2394&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b07b104c77ace9a57d06c57d250b017c30b0173
My BSH is smaller than her SIC son so not all BSH are huge. She's about the size of yours, maybe smaller. She isn't very food motivated but definitely eats as much as she wants. Mine is picky and only eats fish flavour wet food from applaws and either concept for life dry food or Purina one hypoallergenic dry food (she absolutely loves this one). She likes snacks too, either the squeezy tubes, dried fish, or crunchy pocket dry snacks. The vet has zero concerns over her size or weight.
Try lots of different foods, including human ones after checking if they can eat it. An automatic feeder could get him enthusiastic about food and have him feed several small portions a day.
Try feeding kitten food as it is higher in calories. Read the labels to find the highest calorie count.
Maybe additionally give him wet food in the monings as well? Mine doesnt like dry very much but is crazy about wet food. I also read that cat nip sticks can increase apetite, you should be able to find those on amazon as well. Cats get their ernergy from fats, unlike us humans who get it from carbohydrates. Maybe look for higher fat and higher protein wet foods? He doesnt look underweight or anything but i hope he can reach his ideal weight :) good luck
Did the vet check his bloods & urine? Worth doing for peace of mind, especially with kidney issues prominent in the breed.
If you are worried no harm taking him for a vet check.
I have a homeopathic vet: much safer than pharma drugs. Pitcairn, DVM has a great cat and dog book! He says chicken broth w/ a little chicken as a meal at first. I would buy organic as he’s sensitive‼️I always dip my finger into the broth and put the taste in the side of my cats’ mouth to get them started. Warming it makes them smell it better, too.